Our news editor, John Burger, did an excellent job selecting and excerpting some of what the bishops have been saying about the election in “Vote 2008: The Shepherds Speak,” which you can find in full and for free linked at the home-page slide show.

But if you want an even more abbreviated version (we did it for a design idea that didn’t work out), here you go:

U.S. Bishops on the 2008 Election

Reversing Roe v. Wade “it is not a mere political tactic, but a moral imperative for Catholics.”
— Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops Committee on Prolife Activities

“Casting a vote, even for reasons other than the candidate’s pro-abortion position, is still casting a vote for the preservation of ‘a legal system which violates the basic right to life.’”
— Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Ore.

“The finest health and education systems, the fairest immigration laws, and the soundest economy do nothing for the child who never sees the light of day.”
— Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pa.

“Voting is a fundamentally moral act ... for which we will each be accountable before God.”
— Bishop James Johnston of Springfield-Cape Girardeau,

“We would commit moral evil if we were to vote for a candidate who takes a permissive stand on those actions that are intrinsically evil where there is a morally acceptable alternative.”
— Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Mich.

“The intentional destruction of innocent human life, as in abortion and euthanasia, is not just one issue among many. Catholic teaching does not treat all issues as morally equivalent.”
— The bishops of Pennsylvania

“Abortion is not a ‘Catholic’ issue. It is a matter of fundamental human rights. In fact, I believe it is the foundational issue of our time. … Catholics are obliged to seek leaders who have the courage to stand up for these truths.”
— Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio

“My desire for a good economy cannot justify my voting to remove all current restrictions on abortion. My desire to end the war in Iraq cannot justify my voting to remove all current restrictions on abortion.”
— Bishop Robert Hermann, St. Louis Archdiocese